Easy Ways to Improve Your Mood

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Taking an extra moment for yourself will make your day brighter and give you a healthier outlook on life. Here are some simple ways you can bring a little happiness into your life right now:

    Go for a walk.

    Grab your dog, best friend, or your significant other and head out on a brisk(轻快的) walk. Just a little bit of exercise can improve your mood and give you a fresh perspective on problems that have been bothering you. Think walks are boring? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Take a trip to the mall, or even walk to get some frozen yogurt. Make it a fun trip and you'll surely make it part of your routine.

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    After all, laughter is the best medicine. Pick up something that makes you laugh like a funny picture, book, magazine, or a DVD of your favorite comedy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Giving yourself time to laugh increases feel-good endorphins(胺多酚).

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    Take a photo of yourself doing something you enjoy, like roller skating, skiing, swimming, playing an instrument, or being with friends and family. Place the picture on your desk to remind yourself that you lead an amazing life and have lots to be happy about.

A. Model behavior.

B. Buy something silly.

C. Ten minutes of relaxation can do wonders.

D. Try walking to a place that seems exciting to you.

E. You could even plan a date night out to a comedy club.

F. Tell someone that you're guaranteed to brighten their day.

G. Even the most optimistic people can use a mood boost every once in a while.

    There are lots of insects that farmers hate. But there also are some they like. They protect crops against damage from other insects. A good example is the lady beetle, which is also known as the ladybug(瓢虫)．

    Lady beetles are a natural control for aphids(蚜虫). Lady beetles are red, orange or black. They often have black spots, though some have light colored spots. Different kinds of lady beetles have different numbers of spots. There are lady beetles with four, five, seven and fourteen spots.

    Many of the well-known kinds of lady beetles come from Asia or Europe. They now are common throughout the United States.

    American scientists imported one kind of lady beetle, the multicolored Asian lady beetle, as early as 1916. They released them as an attempt to control some kinds of insects. Over the years, the beetle has become established, possibly helped by some that arrived with imported plants on ships.

    Experts say over 450 kinds of lady beetles are found in North America. Some are native to the area. Others have been brought from other places. Almost all are helpful to farmers.

    The Asian lady beetles now in the United States probably came from Japan. The Asian lady beetle eats aphids that damage crops like soybeans, fruits and berries.

    In the southern United States, Asian lady beetles have reduced the need for farmers to use reskilling poisons on pecan trees. This popular tree nut suffers from aphids and other pests that the lady beetles eat.

    But some people say the Asian lady beetle has itself become a pest. They worry that the lady beetles may eat their late autumn fruit crops.

    Experts say Asian lady beetles may appear in large numbers in some years. But they say the insects are too helpful to be considered as pests.

    “Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?”Lindsey whispers to Tori.

    With her eyes shining, Tori brags，“You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago.”

    Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedman, I can tell you that what they are saying is not nice and not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话). I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.

    An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic-breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out-that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.

    If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? That answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor(传言)can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group.” In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority(优越感).

    Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do's and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

    The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story” might have.

    Qingming Festival, which falls on April 5 this year, is known as Tomb-Sweeping Day. The festival always appears about the beginning of April when spring has come. Not only is it a period for commemorating the dead, it is also a time for people to go out and enjoy nature.Where is the best place to go during the festival? Here are 3 popular tourist attractions.

    Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area

    In the spring, the sight of the Jiuzhaigou Valley is refreshing and touching. The ice and snow begin to melt, water and streams begin to flow and mountain flowers blossom. The air is filled with the fragrance of spring. The soft and lazy spring sun kisses the surface of the lake and new growth.

    Huanghuacheng Great Wall

    Huanghuacheng is the only lakeside part of the Great Wall in Beijing. It is one of the most popular destinations for a Great Wall hiking tour. It is a hit because of the "train for spring", namely a train that travels through fields full of cherry blossoms.It is extremely romantic to take this train in spring with someone you love.

    Mount Huangshan

    Of all the notable mountains in China, Mount Huangshan is probably the most famous and is found in the southern part of East China's Anhui province. It is known for its breathtaking natural scenery.In the spring, Mount Huangshan is fresh, tender and full of wild flowers, and the sound of birdsong also is pleasant in the quietness

    The TED speaker series features "ideas worth spreading". With over 1,400 to choose from, we've selected a few that are perfect for students.

    ⒈Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career

We humans may have an unfavorable habit of making excuses for ourselves or being too confident about ourselves. Accordingly, Larry Smith, a professor of economics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, tells us why most of us will fail to have a great career. Luckily, as he puts it, there is a way out—follow your heart, as long as it is good for your career.

    ⒉Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes

Between dance team, volunteering and –oh, right—lectures, your life's crazy factor(因素)is about to go way up. In this entertaining and informative talk, Mindfulness, expert Andy Puddicombe teaches us how to be "more healthy, more mindful and less distracted" by taking just 10 minutes out of the day to be "more present".

    ⒊Shane Koyczan: To this day…for the bullied(欺凌)and beautiful

    This talk is sure to stay with you. Shane Koyczan's "To This Day" is an affecting spoken-word poem about bullying and being different that gained over 10 million views on YouTube. In this talk, Koyczan gives a live reading of the poem, along with some stories about his background.

    ⒋Susan Cain: The power of introverts(性格内向者)

    Does a cup of tea and a good book sound like a perfect Friday night? In this personal talk, Susan Cain argues that introverts have talents and abilities. Our culture may value being outgoing, but the world needs all kinds.